Spring shade-roller.



No. 873,438 PATENTED DEG. 10, 1907. A. JOHN, .13.. SPRING SHADE ROLLER. APPLICATION FILED JAnfal. 190e,

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT JOHN, JR., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPRING SHADE-ROLLER.

Application filed January 31- T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT JOHN, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at (h1- c ago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Spring Shade-Rollers, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and, use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsywhich form a part of this specification.

My invention relates in general to window shades, and more particularly to spring rollers for window shades.

In spring shade rollers as usually constructed, the spring is wound up and placed under tension when the shade is drawn down. The repeated winding and unwinding of the s rings in time destroys their tension and liey are frequently broken bythe torsion which they are subjected to. Considerable annoyance is experienced in the use of shades owing to their being torn from the rollers when unwound too far.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a s ring shade rol er in which the spring will 0 placed under tension by its longitudinal extension when the shade is unwound and will rewind the shade by its longitudinal contraction.

A further object of my invention is tojpro vide means for limiting the unwinding of a Window shade to prevent-its being torn from its roller and for limiting the unwinding of the shade.

Afurther object of my invention is to provide means for conveniently and securely fastening a shade to'its roller.

A further object of my invention is to provide a roller which may be varied in length to fit windows of slightly dill'ercnt widths.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved spring detent for permitting the shade to be wound up when the roller rotates rapidly but which, hen the shade is permitted to wind. slon ly, will lock the roller againstrotation by its spring.

The embodiment of my invention herein disclosed C(fl'ilPIlSOS a hollow roller formed of two longitudinal portions united by a dove-tail joint, an apron to which the shade is secured surrounding the roller and having one end interposed in the dove-tail joint, a coiled spring within the roller secured at one end to one end ol the roller and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907.

1906. Flerial No. 298.783.

end to a nut mounted to move longitudinally within but to rotate with the roller, a spiral grooved rod extending through and engaging t thread in the nut, one end of the rod projccting beyond an end of the roller and adapted to engage a bearing in a bracket thereby supporting the adjacent end of the roller and retaining the rod against rotation, an obstruction projecting into the path of movement of the nut to limit its movement and thereby limit the unwinding of the shade, a spring detent fixed to the projecting end of the rod and having a boss adapted to engage any one of a series of holes in the adi jacent end of the roller, the other'end of the' roller being axially extensible to vary the length of the roller and having a pint" to rotatably engage the supporting bracket.

My invention will be more fully described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which the same is illustrated as embodied in a convenient and practical form, and in which,-'

Figure 1 is a sectional longitudinal section,

the shade bemg of the roller looking from t e left in Fig. 1;

broken; Fi 2 an end view Fig. 3 an enlarged sectional view through the roller.

The same reference characters are used to designate the same parts in the several figures of the drawin Reference character A indicates a shade roller formed in two longitudinal portions A A united by a dove-tail joint comprising the wedge-shaped ribs (1.", a on the portion A and the cooperating we ige-shaped ribs (1/ a on the other portion A of the roller.

B indicates an axially extensible portion of the roller provided with a pintle E adapted to engage a su )porting bracket, and being reduced to fit Within he hollow interior of the adjacent portion or cuts may be conveniently part of the the roller. vSaw formed in that portion B which extends within the hollow adjacent portion of the roller to formed in the portion B of the roller while at its other its opposite end extends through the tube located on the opposite B and is provided with an angular or flat tened projection E adapted to engage a A stationary bracket to support the adjacent end of the roller and also to hold the rod 5 againstirotation. In order that the rod may be held axially immovable relatively to the roller but so as to permit the roller to rotate about the rod, a groove'e is formed in the portion of the rod'E within the tube B while pins such as 5 carried by the tube B lie Within such tube. H indicates a nut having a screw-threaded central opening through which the rod E extends. The nut H is provided with a peripheral flange of a diameter slightly less than the interior diameter of the roller. A notch h is provided in such flange through which extends a rib a formed on the portion A. of the roller and projecting inwardly.

, G*indicates a coiled spring surrounding the rod E and having one end g extending through and rigidly secured to the end cap 155 of the roller. The other end of the sprin g is secured to the flange of the nut '25 H. sereweor other obstruction K extends into the path otinovement of the nut H at any desired'point.

F indicates 'a resilient detent fixed to the portion E of the rod E in any suitable 3L manner such for instance as by means of a flange f closely surrounding the red, the rod and surrounding flange being of such shape that a detent is prevented from rotation relatively with the rod. The free end of the spring detent F is provided With a boss or other projection f adapted to engage any one of a series of recesses b in the end cap B of the roller.

- 0 indicates an apron made of anysuitable fabric which surrounds the roller and is preferably secured thereto at, its edge by means of a portion clb'eing interposed be tween the ribs formingthe dove-tail joint between the two portions of the roller as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The apron may be glued or'othcrwise secured around the roller. The shade 1) maybe secured in any suitable manner, such for instance as by sewing to the apron C. The portion C of the apron which extends around the extensible sleeve b is made separate so that as the end portion B of the roller is adjusted axially the portion of the apron C will move therewith.

The operation of my invention is as follows: ".lhe shade D is secured around the r0llcr A by means of the apron C. The shade is then wound up on the roller by hand in the usuai'inanner after wdiich the pintle E and protecting end E of the rodare located in the supporting brackets. The shade is then", unwound. by drawing the lower end. downwardlywhich rotates the i lh-r :l'lUlll'Ul the rod E so that the uni ii wh with the roller is h-d along- The screw K or otinr o? at such point that when the shade has been unwound the desired extent, it will be engaged by the flange of the nut II and thereby prevent further movement of the nut and further unrolling of the curtain and avoid any danger of the curtain being torn from the roller. hen the curtain has been unwound the desired extent it is moved slowly so as to permit the bossf on the spring dctent F to engage one of the holes I) and thereby retain the curtain unwound to the'desired extent. In order to rewind the curtain it is given a quick movement downward which removes the boss on the detent from the edged recesses and by then allowing the curtain to move rapidly the detent is prevented from engagement with any of the recesses. It will be observed that the shade is also prevented from being rewound too far as the spring when it has contracted suihciently to rewind the shade will contract no further.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that I have invented an improved spring roller for window shades in which the spring is placed under tension by axial extension, in which the shade is prevented from being torn from the roller, in which a convenient and secure means is provided for securing the shade to the roller, and which may be extended axially to adjust the same to windows of slightly dill'erent width.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a hollow shade roller composed of two longitiulinal portions united by a dove-tail joint and an axial ad justable end portion, of an apron having one section secured to said roller between the longitudinal portions and another section secured tothe axial adjustable end portion, and a shade secured to said apron.

2. The coniliiination with a spring shade roller, of an axial journal relatively to which said roller rotates, a resilient detent fixed at one end to said journal and a shoulder on the end of the roller for engaging with said detent and locking the roller against rotation or for permitting rotation of the roller according to the speed of rotalion thereof.

3. The combination with a spring shade roller, of an axial oui'nal relatively to which said roller rotates, a resilient detent fixed at one end to said journal, and a projection on said detent cooperating with recesses in the end of the roller to lock the roller against rotalion or to permit the roller to rotate according to the speed of rotation of the roiler.

4. The comhinalioi'i with a shade roller, 01' a windowshade secured thereto, a coiled spring within said roller one end of which is sex-aired totl1e1olle'i,a11d means located with in and rolaiing with the roller for expanding said spring longitudinally when the shade is unwound thereby tension to rewind t e shade.

5. The combination with a shade roller, of a window shade secured thereto. a coiled spring within said roller one end of which is secured to the roller, a block mounted within and rotating with said roller .to. which the other end ofsaid spring is secured, and means for moving said block axially within the roller when the shade is unwound thereby placing the spring under tension by expandg the same longitudinally to rewind the shade.

'6. The combination with a shade roller, of a Window shade secured thereto a coiled spring within said roller one end of which issecured to the roller, a block mounted within and rotating with said roller to which-the other end of said spring is secured/means for moving said block axially within the roller when the shade is unwound thereby placing the spring under tension by longitudinally expanding the same to rewind the shade,

and a stop projecting into the path of movement of said block to limit its axial moVe-,

limiting the unwinding of-the i a C. AvIii'tiLL Inent thereby shade,

placing the spring under 7. The combination with a shade 'roller,

spring within said roller one end of which is tending concentrically within said roller and having a spiral surrounding and in screw-threaded en agement with-said rod, the opposite end 0 said springrbeing secured to sa1 nut.

rounding and in screw-threaded en agement with said rod, the opposite end 0 said s ring being secured to said nut, and a sprin etent fixed tosaid rod. cooperating with sai rollen to lock the same a amst rotation.

In testimony whereof, sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

V ALBERT JOHN, JR. Witnesses:

GEO. L. WILKINSON,

' of a window shade secured thereto, a coiledsecured to the roller, a non-rotatable rod exoove therein, and a nut 10- cated within said roller to rotate therewith;

he combination with a shade roller, I i

having a spiral groove therein, a nut sur- 

